The Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) and the Girl Coalition of Indiana, in partnership with the Girl Scouts, have released the 2024 Indiana Girl Report: A Data-Driven Roadmap to Improving the Lives of Girls in Indiana.

This year’s annual report, released August 26, used data-driven research to provide insights into the well-being of girls and young women across the state of Indiana, providing an in-depth look at the challenges facing girls in Indiana and the opportunities available to them.

“The 2024 Indiana Girl Report is more than a collection of data,” said Tami Silverman, president and CEO of IYI, in a statement. “It is an example of the fundamental role data plays in our collective work to care for and improve the lives of Indiana’s children. We are proud to partner with Girl Co., which is committed to using data to create impactful change. Together, we are making progress toward a better future for every girl in Indiana.”

The Indiana Youth Institute has been Indiana’s KIDS COUNT partner for more than 30 years – part of a national network dedicated to collecting, analyzing and sharing data on child well-being. The 2024 Indiana Girl Report, which builds on last year’s report, goes even deeper, combining key information from more sources to raise awareness of issues in areas such as mental health, social well-being, positive childhood experiences and interpersonal aggression.

Key findings from the 2024 Indiana Girl Report include:

Positive childhood experiences:

• 30.7% of female children aged 6-17 did not participate in organized activities or classes in 2021-2022.
• In the 2022-2023 school year, 8,024 homeless students were enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade, a 10% increase from the previous school year.

Dealing with interpersonal aggression:

• From 2022 to 2023, there was an increase in four of the five types of bullying incidents among students in grades K-12.
• 17.2% of high school female students in Indiana reported being victims of intimate partner sexual violence in the past year – almost seven times more than the rate for male students, where the rate was 2.5%.

Access to mental health support services:

• 51.3% of caregivers of girls ages 3 to 17 in Indiana reported difficulty finding necessary mental health treatment or counseling for their children. This is lower than the national rate of 55.7% and the rate of 61.6% among caregivers of boys under 18.
• In 2022, female students in grades 7-12 were twice as likely as their male peers to report multiple mental health problems, including feelings of sadness or hopelessness lasting more than two weeks and suicidal thoughts and ideation.

“While it’s natural to think first of the girls closest to us, it’s critical that we start with a perspective that includes all girls in our state,” Silverman said in a statement. “To support the well-being of Indiana girls, understanding who they are is central. Our work focuses on evidence and facts about how girls in our state are doing. The potential for innovation, problem-solving and impacting girls’ lives is only as good as our understanding of the children and youth we seek to serve.”

The Indiana Girl Report also provides recommendations for parents, youth service providers and policy makers. Data is disaggregated by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and other key demographics to ensure a nuanced understanding of the diverse experiences of girls in Indiana.

To read a full copy of the 2024 Indiana Girl Report, visit iyi.org.

Contact arts and culture reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.